Center-bearing plate for cars



(No Model.) 7

G. T. SGHOEN.

. GENTER- BEARING PLATE FOR CARS. v

No. 416,273. Patented Dec. 3, 1889.

- WITNESSES 7 [iv mwz 02? 526 @wmww/ W n N, PETERS. Phmwulhngmphur, Washing'on. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES T. SCHOEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

CENTER-BEARING PLATE FOR CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,27 3, dated December 3, 188 9.

' Application filed September 20, 1889. Serial No. 324,539- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES T. SoHoEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Center- Bearing Plates for Railway-Cars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

7 This invention relates to center-bearing plates for railway-cars that are made of wrought metal, preferably of pressed steel.

In the use of wrought-metal center-bearing plates it has been found that it is advisable to support the elevated portions that come next to the car-timbers in order to enable them better to resist the flattening effect of pressure and concussion. This may be largely accomplished by means of interposed bearing-rings or filling-pieces.

The invention consists of wrought-metal, preferably pressed steel, center-bearin g plates having matched surfaces with returns extended to the plane of the plates that comes next to the car-timbers to take the strain or pressure or concussion off of the plates and put it upon the car-timbers.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, in the two figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of one form, and Fig. 2 is a similar view of another form.

The upper plate a is made with longitudinal flanges b to embrace the sides of the-cartimbers. It is also provided with dowels or lugs c to enter holes in the timbers to assist in keeping the plates in place. The plate is made with a convex central projection d, which projeotion has a central returned portion 0 extending to the base-line f of the plate, and by preference having the horizontal flange g, in which is made the opening it for the passage of the king-bolt. By returning the convex projection back to the base-line of the plate it will be observed that the said projection has a central supportin the plane of greatest strain and pressure against the timbers of the car, and therefore the said central projection is not aptto be crushed or distorted in use. The plat e o is also provided with holes 'i for the passage of fastening devices.

The bottom plate j is provided with dowels or lugs 7c and openings Zfor the passage of fastening devices to secure the said plate to the truck. Such bottom plate is also provided with longitudinal flanges m to embrace the truck-timbers to assist in retaining the plate in place. The central elevation n is provided in the bottom plate, and the surface 0 of this elevation is curved to match the curvature of the portion (1 of the upper plate and to provide for the movement of the two plates, after the manner of a ball-and-socket joint.

In order to support and strengthen the surface 0 of the elevation of the bottom plate, I employ a bearing-piece p, the bottom of which has a flange q lying in the base-line r of the lower plate. This bearing-piece 13 has a shoulder 8, fitted to the under side of the surface 0 of the extension or and supporting the said surface, and when the said bearing-piece is thus inserted in the portion 0 the parts are united by upsetting the said bearing-piece, so that its upper portion projects over the upper surface of the portion 0', as indicated in the drawings. That portion t of the bearing-piece p which extends above the surface 0 serves as a centering device for the upper bearing-plate. The upper portion t of this bearing-piece may be flanged, as at u, and provided with an opening for the passage of the king-bolt. It will be observed that this bearing-piece p, extending to the base-line of the bottom plate from the bearing-surface of such bottom plate, serves to take the strain and pressure from the bearing-surface of such bearing-plate and put it upon the truck, thus greatly enhancing the durability and strength of the said bearing-plate.

The bearing-piece, instead of being crimped or upset about the surface 0, as just described, may be made with straight walls and. be pressed cold into the hotplate, enlarging the hole therein. In this case the surface 0 is returned, as at o, to rest upon the bottom flange of the bearing-piece, as shown in Fig. 2.

The attached bearing-piece might be employed in the upper plate instead of the lower, and in that case the lower plate might have a returning central portion to support it. Moreover, the bearing-piece might be connected to the plate to which it is applied in other ways than that herein shown, or it might be loosely set in the said plate; but I prefer to connect it with the plate in a sufficiently rigid manner to permit the handling of these parts as one piece.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting the invention to the mere details of form herein shown. Neither do I limit the invention to any particular material, although I prefer to strike up all of the parts from steel plate.

What I claim is 1. Center-bearing plates for railway-cars, comprising a plate provided with a projection whose center is returned to the base-line of the plate, and a matching plate provided With a projection to form a seat for the projection of the other plate, and having a connected center bearing springing from its base-line and extending beyond the projection and into the returned portion of the other plate, substantially as described.

2. Center-bearing plates for railway-cars, comprising a plate provided with a projection whose center is returned to the base-line of the plate, and a matching plate provided with a projection to form a seat for the projection of the other plate, and having a center bearin g fitted in an opening in the projection and upset about its edge and springing from the baseline of the said plate, and extending beyond the projection into the returned portion of the first-named plate, substantially as described.

In center-beari n g plates for railway-cars, a plate provided with a curvilinear projection, and a bearing-piece for such curvilinear projection connected thereto and extending from the base-line of the plate beyond the curvilinear projection, combined with a matched plate having, its center returned to its base line and fitted to said curvilinear projection and to the bearing-piece, substantially as described.

-i. I11 center-bearing plates for railway-cars, a plate provided with a curvilinear projection, and a bearing-piece for such curvilinear projection attached thereto and extending from the base-line of the plate beyond the curvilinear projection, combined with a matched plate fitted to said curvilinear projection and to the hearing-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 19th day of September, A. I). 1889.

CHARLES 'l. SCIIOFL \Vitnesses:

WM. H. Lewis, J. R. MCLEAN, Jr. 

